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Keane spurs Tottenham to victory

March 28, 2006 10:24 IST
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A last-minute penalty from Robbie Keane boosted Tottenham Hotspur's bid for a Champions League place with a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

Keane, who had earlier notched his 50th Premier League goal for the London club, scored from the spot after West Brom keeper Tomasz Kuszczak hit a clearance straight to Jermain Defoe and then pulled him down under pressure.

Egypt international Mido put the loose ball into the net but the referee had already blown the whistle.

The win gave fourth placed Tottenham, who occupy the final Champions League spot, 55 points. They are three clear of Blackburn Rovers and five ahead of Arsenal, who have a game in hand after their clash at Portsmouth was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at the weekend.

West Brom stay 17th on 27 points, three clear of the relegation zone. Chelsea top the table with 78 points.

Spurs manager Martin Jol was pleased with their second-half performance.

"You need quality in the passing and that is what we lacked in the first half an hour but I think in the second half we worked very hard and overall we deserved it," the Dutchman told Sky Sports.

"I think 55 points is marvellous. Everyone was saying 'we knew Tottenham would be there' but then that's maybe been the same story for the last 20 years and now we are there so we are very proud."

West Brom defender Curtis Davies gave the visitors a deserved lead in the 21st minute when he outjumped Michael Dawson at the far post to head home Jonathan Greening's free kick.

Tottenham, unbeaten at home in the league since losing to Chelsea in August, got into their stride towards the end of the half and Kuszczak produced good saves to deny Defoe and midfielder Aaron Lennon.

Substitute Mido almost scored with his first touch when he sent the ball across the face of goal from a tight angle on 61 minutes.

The equaliser came when Keane received the ball from Michael Carrick and deftly chipped it over Kuszczak.

Hungarian substitute Zoltan Gera almost salvaged a point for West Brom in the final seconds but Paul Robinson saved his header.

"Even when they got the equaliser we were the dominant team," West Brom manager Bryan Robson said.

"We've had good situations ourselves, great chances off set plays but we haven't capitalised and then we shot ourselves in the foot but we do that every week."

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Source: REUTERS
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